Having the experience of soul wandering among the stars from the last time, Zhuo Ci Ji Changkong was now thoroughly familiar with the process and easily found his target. His spirit re-settled onto the very star where he had previously stood firm. Desolation and deathly silence were the eternal constants here; apart from the occasional drifting, shimmering pinpricks of light, this world seemed devoid of any other form of life.

After half a month of arduous self-cultivation at the Poison Dragon Pool, fueled by Black Jade Primordial Crystal, the spiritual energy depleted during his last soul-splitting not only fully recovered but his very spirit showed subtle signs of deeper advancement. Now, with his soul descending once more into this wondrous realm, he felt himself in an exceptionally fine state.

Having experienced being hunted before, Ji Changkong no longer drifted aimlessly. Instead, he began purposefully drawing in the streams of light floating throughout the world—these lights were precisely what his original world called Starlight. Starlight possessed a marvelous nourishing effect on the spirit. As strand after fine strand was gathered by his soul, it transformed into an incredibly faint power that converged within it, granting his spirit a minuscule measure of stellar might.

He discovered that cultivating in this realm gave his nebula-shaped spirit a distinct advantage. The ubiquitous lights wandering this world seemed subtly drawn to his spirit; they would wrap themselves around him without requiring him to expend extra mental energy, serving to nourish and purify his soul.

The wandering lights in any given area were not inexhaustible. If he lingered too long in one spot, the local floating lights would be completely absorbed by his spirit. Once absorbed, the power of the roaming Starlight would convert into extremely weak stellar energy.

After one area's gentle starlight was entirely consumed, it might take a considerable time for the soft light to flow in from another region. Therefore, for faster and better cultivation, he needed to constantly shift his location, seeking out areas where the gentle starlight was denser.

Drifting along, Ji Changkong dared not relax his guard, carefully extending his spiritual senses. However, perhaps due to the peculiar nature of this space, his range of perception within this world was significantly diminished, and his acuity far inferior to that in the world where his physical body existed.

Here, his spiritual perception felt like plunging into the ocean, subtly obstructed by some resistance, unable to fully absorb the surrounding conditions into his heart. It was also for this reason that he failed to detect the appearance of those Northern Barbarian Heavenly Soldiers until they were already upon him the last time.

A towering, majestic peak suddenly manifested ahead. This mountain was dark brown, devoid of flora or fauna—a characteristic feature of this world.

Yet, something miraculous was present: this massive peak was suspended in the air.

Countless threads of Starlight, as thick as fingers, mysteriously wrapped around this colossal peak. At a glance, the mountain seemed encased in faint lightning, shimmering with a muted, non-blinding radiance. Numerous points of light hovered upon this peak, some circling it, much like the fireflies from his own world.

After just a cursory glance, Ji Changkong abruptly halted. He understood that those firefly-like specks of light were spirits who had come here to cultivate, just like him. Some of these lights were exceptionally bright—a sign that the spirit had absorbed a great deal of Starlight. Usually, spirits that shone so brightly possessed a higher realm of attainment.

The peak suspended in the void was likely a miraculous entity in this realm. It gathered an abundance of gentle starlight, much like the treasured cultivation spots in his own world, brimming with concentrated Heaven and Earth spiritual energy. The peak functioned the same way; where the gentle starlight was abundant, it naturally attracted Heavenly Soldiers like himself to cultivate there.

The firefly-like lights danced around the massive peak, some hovering over points where the gentle starlight was most concentrated, vigorously drawing in the power contained within. They were all striving to collect the stellar energy from this great mountain that could enhance their own spirits.

Given his understanding of human greed, Ji Changkong could surmise that any lights cultivating peacefully upon the peak either belonged to a single faction or were mutually acquainted; otherwise, conflict would be inevitable without such tranquil coexistence.

"This 'Guiding Peak' was discovered by the Heavenly Soldiers from the three islands of Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou in the East Sea. This place belongs to us. Regardless of who you are, please seek your cultivation ground elsewhere."

Although the distance was great, a message was still transmitted from that colossal peak suspended in the void. Communication between spirits in this realm was conducted entirely through mental transmissions (Xun Nian); language barriers simply did not exist. Any Heavenly Soldier cultivating here, whether from the Central Lands, the Southern Barbarians, the Western Regions, the Northern Barbarians, or the East Sea, could engage in direct soul communication via their spirits.

In the East Sea, Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou were the greatest gathering places for powerful Heavenly Soldiers. The mightiest experts of the East Sea often frequented these three islands, among them Masters of the Eight Trigrams Heavenly Talisman Peak realm.

It seemed the "Guiding Peak" was one of the comparatively scarce cultivation resources in this world. The Heavenly Soldiers from the three East Sea islands had discovered this significant treasure trove and immediately laid claim to it, treating the "Guiding Peak" as their exclusive cultivation site, strictly forbidding outsiders.

These East Sea Heavenly Soldiers were relatively polite; at least they offered a warning first, unlike the Northern Barbarian Heavenly Soldiers, who were insufferably arrogant and, upon meeting, would immediately attempt to devour your spirit en masse.

At this moment, Ji Changkong suddenly realized that there were still many aspects of this world he had yet to encounter. In this marvelous realm accessible only by spirit, not only was there strife—just as in his physical world—but there was even territorial claiming.

Ji Changkong knew he was no match for the Heavenly Soldiers from those three East Sea islands and could only retreat silently, harboring a sense of regret. He could see that the "Guiding Peak" gathered an immense amount of gentle starlight; cultivating there would have been several times faster than searching everywhere for individual streams of Starlight.

Conflict, indeed, was ubiquitous; even in this world where only the spirit could survive, it could not alter the fundamental nature of human hearts.

Suddenly, Ji Changkong realized that after leaving the Tianyuan Pearl—a treasure that enhanced primal force—and arriving abruptly in this wondrous realm where survival depended solely on the spirit, he remained merely an ordinary Seven-Star Heavenly Soldier, barely past the initial stage.

The Xuanyuan bloodline and those so-called Ji family secret techniques could only be activated using the power of the physical body. Without a physical body to serve as the spirit's vessel, his soul could not act as it pleased in this world.

"Spirit Splitting, Nebula Soul Refining, True Transformation, Heart Firm, Soul Spirit Unfettered,"

His spirit condensed into a point of light, drifting away from the "Guiding Peak" to scout the surroundings. Ji Changkong continuously recalled the various esoteric cultivation methods he had obtained from the Aoluo Divine Cult, particularly those pertaining to the Nebula Soul Refining Art. They passed through his soul-thought like inscribed text.

Since obtaining the various secret cultivation methods of the Aoluo Divine Cult, he had rarely dedicated true effort to comprehending them. On one hand, he felt the Western Regions' Aoluo Divine Cult was inherently heretical, and he was somewhat reluctant to invest much time in their forbidden techniques. Another reason was that he already possessed numerous cultivation methods; the Grand Void Secret Record was still considered the most peerless secret technique under heaven, leading him to believe he should not abandon the root for the branches.

However, during the last attack by those Northern Barbarians, the Heavenly Soldier secret techniques that allowed him to charge unimpeded in his physical world proved ineffective against the spirit. Only the Nebula Soul Refining Art played a role at the critical moment, enabling his escape from the Northern Barbarian Heavenly Soldiers.

The Nebula Soul Refining Art, the ultimate treasure that only the Cult Master of the Aoluo Divine Cult was qualified to practice, he had acquired relatively easily. In that sacred place, his spirit had suddenly manifested in a nebula shape without undergoing arduous step-by-step cultivation. Consequently, he had never taken the Nebula Soul Refining Art seriously, holding it in mild disdain.

It was only after realizing the marvel of the Nebula Soul Refining Art last time, and now being turned away from the "Guiding Peak" by the Heavenly Soldiers of the three East Sea islands, that he understood establishing oneself in this world was not easy. If the spirit lacked self-preservation capabilities, this world was infinitely more perilous than his own.

Suddenly, he was seized by the desire to thoroughly study the Nebula Soul Refining Art. Thus, he began genuinely recalling everything related to the Aoluo Divine Cult, especially the profound explanations regarding its cultivation methods.

When he truly delved into recalling the Nebula Soul Refining Art, he was shocked to discover that this soul cultivation method from the Aoluo Divine Cult contained various astonishingly sinister and vicious methods of attack. Yes, exactly like those used by the Northern Barbarians. These were truly techniques for spirit assault!

Furthermore, judging by the several attack methods documented in the Nebula Soul Refining Art, the destructive power derived from these techniques was far more venomous and terrifying than what the Northern Barbarians had employed.

Drives: A soul secret method recorded in the Nebula Soul Refining Art. As long as the practitioner's mental energy is sufficiently powerful, they can directly influence other spirits. Overwhelming mental power leaves the target utterly incapable of resistance, forcing them to become his puppet, acting upon his commands.

Soul Ray (Hun Mang): A faint wisp of spirit is separated, infused with a massive surge of mental energy, transforming into a beam smaller than a needle point. Manipulated by the soul, it can pierce spirits with insufficient mental fortitude, instantly inflicting severe damage.

Black Hole: This is a uniquely vicious secret technique of the Nebula Soul Refining Art. The practitioner's nebula-shaped spirit accelerates a hundredfold following a specific trajectory, instantly causing the soul-nebula to form a black hole with immense suction power. All spirits within a certain radius are affected by the black hole and involuntarily drawn toward it. Under this hundredfold acceleration, any soul falling into the black hole is instantly refined into ash, with absolutely no possibility of recovery.

In addition to these three spirit attack techniques, the Nebula Soul Refining Art also includes Deification (Shen Hua), Negative Sea (Fu Mian Hai), and Killing Intent Tide (Sha Yi Chao). As long as the spirit has formed a nebula shape and the mental energy is powerful enough, these techniques can be mastered.

All manner of spirit attack techniques from the Nebula Soul Refining Art were recalled repeatedly in his memory. Only by earnestly cultivating and comprehending them did he realize the profound depth of the art. He understood why it was hailed as the ultimate treasure of the Aoluo Divine Cult.

Setting aside the attack techniques capable of instantly obliterating other spirits, simply the capacity for Spirit Splitting followed by Re-coalescence meant that anyone practicing the Nebula Soul Refining Art gained several extra lives while cultivating in the Endless Star Domain. Unless facing an absolute expert whose realm vastly surpassed his own, the average spirit attempting to take his life would find it nigh impossible.

Once his spirit's mental energy became powerful enough, coupled with the near-immortality characteristic of the Nebula Soul Refining Art and its myriad of vicious, sinister secret methods, he was certain he could dominate this domain just as he did in his previous world.

This endless, vast starry sky might just become the battlefield where he truly thrived!

With this surge of heroic spirit, Ji Changkong did not rush to find an area rich in Starlight to cultivate. Instead, he focused intently within this strange space, striving to comprehend those terrifying spirit attack techniques.

His spirit had already formed a nebula shape without his realizing it; the foundation had been laid long ago. When practicing the various secret methods of the Nebula Soul Refining Art, he encountered absolutely no difficulty. With a clear objective and renewed motivation, Ji Changkong’s cultivation had always been characterized by a near-mad, obsessive focus.

In this marvelous space, there was no concept of time. He chose an area where the Starlight was thinnest and immersed himself in cultivation, utterly lost to the world...

After an unknown passage of time, Ji Changkong was abruptly startled out of his obsessive cultivation trance.

A faint light-point had appeared quietly in the distance at some unknown moment, observing him silently. It was unclear how long it had been watching. Once the light-point approached within a certain range, even Ji Changkong, deep in practice, detected the surging vital force emanating from it.

"What business have you?" Ji Changkong asked, his spirit transmitting a message, his confidence bolstered by his small success in practicing the Nebula Soul Refining Art.

"Vacate this spot. I have taken a liking to this place," the spirit replied.

Ji Changkong felt a flicker of confusion, then suddenly realized that without noticing, he had moved a great distance. Now, he didn't know where he was, but the Starlight swirling around him was extremely dense. At a glance, the void was filled with fine "ribbons."

Abundant Starlight meant this was an excellent cultivation site. While not as rare as the "Guiding Peak," this location was far superior to ordinary spots. The newcomer clearly coveted this place, and sensing that Ji Changkong's spiritual power was not particularly conspicuous, he developed the notion of seizing it.

"And if I refuse?"

"Then when your spirit is damaged, do not blame me for being too severe."

Ji Changkong's spirit light suddenly brightened, and his perception pulsed outward toward the newcomer. Confidence surged within him. "Very well. You try. I would very much like to see how you plan to damage my spirit."

"Third Senior Brother, Fourth Senior Brother." The person's spirit suddenly emitted a relatively strong fluctuation. Suddenly, two more balls of light flew from the distance, gathering with the original spirit's cluster.